HAND2-AS1 Works as a ceRNA of miR-3118 to Suppress Proliferation and Migration in Breast Cancer by Upregulating PHLPP2

Large quantities of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been verified to exert vital functions in the process of breast cancer (BC). lncRNA heart and neural crest derivatives expressed 2-antisense RNA 1 (HAND2-AS1) was reported to suppress the development of several cancers. However, its detailed function in BC remained unclear. In the current study, HAND2-AS1 was discovered to be low expressed in BC cell lines, and overexpression of HAND2-AS1 could repress proliferation, migration, and invasion but facilitate apoptosis in BC cells. Moreover, HAND2-AS1 was found to act as a sponge of miR-3118 which was detected to be upregulated in BC cell lines. miR-3118 depletion could constrict the progression of BC. HAND-AS1 hindered the course of BC by reducing the expression of miR-3118. Besides, PHLPP2 was treated as a downstream target of miR-3118 under the selection of RNA pull-down assays. HAND2-AS1 inhibited the process of BC by enhancing expression of PHLPP2. In summary, our study testified that HAND2-AS1 suppressed BC growth by targeting the miR-3118/PHLPP2 axis, indicating that HAND2-AS1 could be regarded as a potential target for BC treatment.